EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF TERMINALIA CATAPPA LEAVES ON LIPID PROFILE OF WISTAR RATS

ABSTRACT This work is to examined the effects of the aqueous extract of Terminalia catappa leaves on the lipids profile of albino rats. The determined concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low- density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in both non- treated and treated rats at 0 hr (basal concentration) and after 14 days are presented in Tables 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In order to establish a definite and significant effect of T. catappa leaf extract on the serum lipids of rats in this study, it was necessary to observe how the levels of these lipids varied in rats which were not treated with the extract within the period of the study. The results in Table 1 showed that there were no significant differences in the concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol at zero hour and after 14 days in rats which were not treated with T. catappa leaf extract. This implied that there was no significant difference between the initial levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol, and the final concentrations after 14 days in the non-treated rats (Table 1). This observation is very important as it substantiates any effects of the plant extract on the treated rats. There was significant (P < 0.05) decrease in total cholesterol (by 18.6%), triglyceride (by 20.46%) and LDL cholesterol (by 20.42%) in groups treated with 0.2 g/kg of T. catappa leaf extract (Table 2). 0.4 g/kg of the extract did not elicit a higher effect on the lipid profile of rats. On the contrary, a relative lower reduction in total cholesterol (by 15.18%) triglyceride (by 19.04%), and LDL cholesterol (by 15.96%) was observed in rats treated with 0.4 g/kg of the extract (Table 3). Both doses of the extract elicited a non-significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in rats. This observation is based on the comparative measures of the basal (0 hr) and final concentrations (after 14 days) of the assessed indices in the treated group